Intimacy by Design: Definition, State of Research, and Interdisciplinary Research Agenda on Intimate Human-AI Interactions

Abstract Intimate relationships, encompassing love and sexuality, are among the most emotionally significant and identity-shaping experiences of human existence. As publicly available applications with AI companions increasingly enter this domain, they challenge traditional boundaries of intimacy, raising urgent interdisciplinary questions. We introduce the concept of Intimacy by design , provide a critical overview of how current technologies simulate emotional reciprocity and facilitate relational dynamics, often triggering attachment behaviors comparable to those observed in human–human interactions. Most importantly, this paper outlines a research agenda that includes key variables and methodological approaches. It concludes by discussing important societal implications, such as data security and privacy, the commercialization and gamification of intimacy, and the normative values embedded in algorithmic design.